Pneumatic carrier.



vUNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

PNEUIVIATIC CARRIER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Original application filed December 18, 1905, Serial No. 292,396. Divided and this application led October 13, 1906. Serial No. 338,730.

, provide means operating as well to limit the relative rotation of its tubular members as also to maintain them in operative relation by preventing their` accidental end'wise dissociation in driving the carrier through the despatch tubes the new means provided therefor, and hereinafter described, has the additional advantage of permitting easy separation of the tubular members for repair or replacement of parts when Worn out.

To attain these objects my invention consists of the combination with the tubular members of a carrier, of the novel elements hereinafter described, to perform the functions stated; my present application being a division of my pending and allowed application, Ser. No. 292,396, led December 18,

In the drawings hereto annexed, in which the saine letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved carrier; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig'. 1. 'Fig 4 is a section showing a modification of the stop elements shown at right-hand end of Fig. 1.

In pneumatic service carriers as commonly constructed, the essential elements are a pair of cylindrical tubes, each having a closed head end and an open end, the tubes being assembled sleeve-like, that is to say, telescoping, the open end of each tube brought' to bear, directly or indirectly, against the head end of the other tube, both tubes being peripherally slotted longitudinally, the slots being adapted to register on the relative rotation of the tubes, one within the other, and with means to limit the rotation, consisting of an outwardly projecting lug on the inner tube and a recessed extension of the peripheral slot inthe outer tube. These devices are necessarily subjected to hard wear, tending to separate the tubes, by a springing of the outer tubular body, which wholly destroys their usefulness, and moreover the combination referred to prevents easy repair of parts.

In my device hereinafter described, the tubular members are constructed as heretofore save for the modification ofthe open end of the inner tubular member, but the means for operatively uniting them and limiting and of my invention, and these I Will now describe.

is indicated at 2, and is a cylindrical tube having a head end 3 shown integral thereperipherally slotted, longitudinally, at 4. The inner tube 5is similarly constructed, 6 indicating its closed head end, but its opposite open end has an inwardly projecting annular ilange 25. These tubes are assembled by bringing the open end of the outer tube 2 over the open end of the inner tube 5, in sleeve-like manner, the tubes fitting each other reasonably close and adapted to that the peripheral openings or slots 4 in the tubes may, by such relative rotation, be brought into register or thrown out of coincidence.

Over the head end 6 of the inner tube .5 is iitted a cap or strengthening and closing plate 20, disk-like in form and having a projecting annular iiange 21 alining ywith and abutting against the o en end of the outer tube 2 this plate 20 being securely fastened to said head end 6 of the inner tube by a rivet 10, and both of them fastened, by removable screw-bolts 9, to the buffer head 11 by means of inset blocks 22 and 23 therein.

Fitting tightly within the inner tubular member 5 at its flanged open end, is an annular plate 7 with an inwardly projectin an-y nular iange'S. The central portion o thisplate 7 is depressed to form an integral stop plate 19 (see Fig. 2) which abuts against the inner face of the head' end of the outer tubular member 2. The depth of the depression in the plate 7, which forms the stop plate 19, is equal to the thickness of the inwardly projecting ilange 25 on the inner tubular member, as seen at right hand of Fig. 1, consequently the peripheries of said stop their relative rotation, are different, are new` The outer tubular member (Figs. 1 to 3)V with, the opposite end being open. It is rotate relatively, one within the other, so

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plate 19 and of said flange 25 are in the same vertical plane, and the former within the latter. The inwardly-facing peripheral edge of the flange 25 is a true circle, represented by the heavy black line 26 and the dotted linecontinuation thereof, see Fig. 2; but upon the are between the termini of the dotted lines is a curved protuberance or thickness of metal, 29, operating as one engaging member of a stop device. The co-acting disk-shaped stop-plate 19 is shown in Fig. 2 with a like character of peripheral protuberance, indicated at 28. The said disk 19 is a true circle indicated by the line 27 plus the dotted line continuation thereof. The said elements are properly proportioned as to size, so as to form co-acting engaging surfaces. In said Fig. 2 the peripheral edges of the stop-plate 19 and inturned flange 25 of the inner tubular member are shown in engaged position; and can be released therefrom only by a half turn to the left, of the inner disk 19, or a like turn to the right of the co-aeting flanged member. Thus these members form in themselves, by relative rotation, a barrier or stop to limit such rotation.

The tubes 2'and 5 are guided in relative rotation and they and the several parts are held from longitudinal displacement by the flange 8 and the annular portion of the plate 7 which bears against the inturned flange 25 of the inner tube, because the stop plate 19 being a depressed portion of and .integral with the plate 7 is securely fastened to the head end of the outer tubular member` 2 by the rivet 10 and both are fastened by removable screw bolts 9 to the adjacent buffer turning force is manually applied.

head 11 by means of the inset blocks 22 and 23. Thus the outer tubular member 2 with its attached parts as stated is rotatable relatively to the inner tubular member; either inner or outer tube being actually rot-ated, depending solely upon which bufl'er head the Such rotative movement will move the co-acting engaging surfaces on the stop plate 19 and flange 25 of the inner tube, relatively to each other, and limit their relative rotation.

As will be observed from the foregoing description of the device, the new means consists of the co-acting engaging surfaces on the coinciding peripheral faces of the inturned flange 25 of the inner tube 5 and on the stop plate 19 formed by the depressed portion of the flangedplate 7. I prefer to make said plate 7 with the flange 8 as described, onlyv because it assists in steadying the tubes during rotation, and I prefer to make the stop plate 19 integral with said flanged plate 7 by depressing its central portion, hence said integral structure performs the treble function first, by its outer peripheral rim bearing against the inturned flange 25 of the inner tube 5, it holds the inner tube against longi tudinal separation from the outer tube second, because of its integrality, the stop plate serves, through the screws 9 and 10, to hold the plate 7 against the [lange 25 of the inner tube, for the purpose last stated, and third, by its depressed central portion, forming a stop plate 19, it limits the relative rotation olI the tubes 2 and 5.

It is obvious that the flange S on` the, plate 7 may be dispensed with, without altering the principle of construction and operation, and equally obvious that instead of depressing the center of plate 7 to form the stop plate 19, it may be left intact in that regard to form a securing plate through which bolts 9 and 10 will pass, and the stop plate 19 then be made a separate and distinct structure as illustrated in Fig. et, however this merely making the same device in two pieces instead of one, without changing its principle ol.' construction and mode of operation.

The further operation of the device will be suillciently well understood from. the description already given, it being only desirable to call to attention that the elements and their combination and arrangement described will also operate to lprevent normal longitudinal separation of the relatively rotatable telescoping tubes under ordinary con,- ditions of use, while freely permitting their separation for repair or replacement of p arts.

Having thus described my invention, ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A carrier for pneumatic service systems comprising a pair of telescoping tubular members, peripherally slotted and arranged relatively rotatable, each provided with a closed head-end and an opposite open end, the inner of said tubular members having at its open end an inturned annular (lange provided on an are of its peripheral edge with a curved protuberaiice, a disk-like plate supported within said inturned llange and hav ing a peripheral edge provided with a eorresponding curved protuberance, said l lange and disk being adapted to be brought into or out of engagement on partial relative rotation, and with means to maintain said elements of the stop device in operative relation to each other and to the outer tulmlar mem,- ber substantially as described.

2. A carrier for pneumatic service systems consisting of a pair of cylindrical tubular members, arranged relatively rotatable and peripherally slotted, each provided with a closed head end and an open end, the inner of said tubular members having at its open end an inturned annular flange provided with a curved engaging protuberance on an are of its peripheral edge, a disk arranged to abut against said inturned flange of the inner tnbular member, and having its center depressed to form a stop plate the periphery of which is i'irovided with a mirresponding curved protuberance adapted to ope atively IOO llO

co-aot With said flange of the inner tubular iXed my signature this 4th day of October member and limit the rotletion thereof relai; A. D. 1906. tively to the outer tubu ar member; Wit T means to Xedly secure said stop plate of the MARIOL B' RIFFO flanged disk to the head end of the outer tu- Witnesses: bular member; substantially as described. HENRY T` PULLMANN,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto af- A. M. BIDDLE. 

